On September 17, 1940, the British liner SS City of Benares was sailing for Canada with 90 children and hundreds of other war refugees on board, hoping to reach safer shores; instead, they were thrown into the gale-driven sea after the Benares was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Based on interviews with survivors, including his own great-uncle, Tom Nagorski's gripping account contains miraculous stories of endurance—particularly among the children, who exhibited what one naval officer called "courage beyond praise"—in a terrifying ordeal that few of them would survive.

"Nagorski, a senior producer at ABC's World News Tonight and winner of three Emmy Awards, scores a bull's-eye in his print debut.... Much of the power of the story—then and now—derives from the 90 children on board who were being carried to safety in Canada.... As the Benares sank, passengers and crew abandoned ship in the stormy waters. Those who made it into lifeboats faced gale-force winds and icy waters—a 'recipe for hypothermia.' With the nearest help 300 miles away, the survivors faced long odds. Despite frequent heroism, many drowned or died of overexposure before the HMS Hurricane arrived and rescued 108 survivors. In its search, the Hurricane missed Lifeboat 12, and its passengers endured eight more harrowing days on the open sea before being rescued."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)